British governments bought the blood and blood products from the US. They were warned repeatedly that they were unsafe—but continued to buy them because they were cheap.

The inquiry previously heard that 25,000 people may have been affected and many still know nothing about it.

Infected

Derek Martindale was infected with HIV and Hepatitis C after receiving blood products to treat his haemophilia. He was diagnosed with HIV in 1985 when he was just 23 years old and given a year to live.

He was told not to tell anyone—even his family.

Derek told the inquiry, “When you’re young you’re invincible. But then you’re told you have 12 months to live—it’s very hard to comprehend.

“There was no future, the likelihood of ­getting married and having children was very unlikely.”

The diagnosis affected Derek’s whole life. He avoided relationships because sex was the main way his disease would spread, and in any case he expected to die.

He was only made aware that he had also been infected with Hepatitis C in 1997.

A Freedom of Information request this week showed that the Department of Health had failed to hand over 139 relevant files to the inquiry.

An audit said that the omissions could be due to “inconsistencies in the filing system”. Campaigners fear it shows a cover-up.

Inquiry chair Sir Brian Langstaff said the inquiry would be “frightened of no one in the conclusions it draws”.

How victims were blamed for scandal

Victims of the scandal were deliberately portrayed as addicts so that they could be blamed for their diseases.

The Infected Blood Inquiry has heard that records were destroyed and doctored. Aidan O’Neill QC said many victims said “false information” had been added to their records.

Lloyd Williams QC said one woman was accused of having multiple sexual partners or using illegal drugs when diagnosed with Hepatitis C.

She had contracted it from contaminated blood.

Williams said the authorities had kept their “mouths shut, files closed and shredders busy” for the last three decades.